Internet at Home

When COVID forced schools to go online, Internet access in homes became more important than ever. As students needed this access, connecting homes across Nebraska became a priority. In 2021, Broadband Now began their campaign to get more Internet access across the state. The percentage of homes with Internet access is featured in the first visualization.

Internet connectivity is much easier said than done. For those who live more than five miles outside of city limits, which is a high number in rural Nebraska, Internet may not even be a possibility. Thus, it follows that population density should be considered when analyzing Internet access within homes. The second visualization shows the population density of each Nebraska county, with a log10 scale to account for the massive difference in density across the state.

Click on any Nebraska county to see exact numeric data.

References (listed in use by visualization):
Broadband Now. (2023). “Internet Service Providers in Nebraska”. Retrieved March 14, 2023 from Broadband Now.
GIS Geography. (2022). “Nebraska County Map”. Retrieved April 2, 2023 from GIS Geography.

Row 1

Percentage of Homes with Internet Access (2021)

Row 2

Population Density of Nebraska Counties (2022)

Internet Usage in Libraries

For many students, including myself, a public library is a necessity for working on homework outside of school. A majority of public libraries within Nebraska do have Internet provided as a standard service. The first visualization here shows a map featuring a color-coded dot for each library. Green dots represent libraries with Internet access, red dots represent no access, and grey dots sit where no data was reported. More information on access during COVID is available by clicking on the dots; many libraries altered their Internet plans to accommodate for community requests during the pandemic.

Communities rely on libraries for certain services, but a common problem lies in the amount of support given to these libraries by their community. A 2018 survey conducted by the Online Computer Library Center asked community members over 200 questions about opinions on libraries, usage of library services, and perception of library funding. Responses from the 2900 surveyed are featured in the second visualization. A key can be found below the visualization to investigate specific survey questions further. All questions featured concerned Internet or technology usage in public libraries.

References (listed in use by visualization):
Nebraska Library Commission. (2021). “2021 Statistical Data Files to Download”. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from NLC.
Online Computer Library Center. (2018). “From Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries in 2018”. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from OCLC.
Resource: Geocod.io.

Row 1

Map of Nebraska Libraries and Internet Capabilities

Row 2

Heat Map of Responses for Each Featured Survey Question

Row 3

Question Key:

S_07: Use the computer/Internet to send or receive e-mail
S_08: Use the computer/Internet to search for information with search engines like Google
S_18: Access the Internet using the library’s WiFi
S_23: Get computer/Internet/technology training
S_28: Check out laptops, tablets, mobile hotspots or other computer hardware
S_33: Use digital labs for coding or music making
S_34: Use online resources such as databases, ebooks, ejournals, streaming music/videos, etc.

Library Computer Usage Development

Tying together the focuses of the earlier two pages, these visualizations focus on the use of Internet computers within Nebraska libraries. Using joined data from the Institute of Museum and Library Service and the Nebraska Library Commission, the two visualizations show the distribution of computer usage per service population depending on the size of the town in which the library resides.

Generally, rural communities have more instances of high computer usage counts. Town, Suburban, then City communities follow. Interestingly, computer usage decreased for all community sizes after COVID. This could be due, in part, to the overall shift in household Internet access across the state of Nebraska.

References (listed in use by visualization):
Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2020). “Library Search & Compare”. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from IMLS.
Nebraska Library Commission. (2018). “2018 Statistical Data Files to Download”. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from NLC.
Nebraska Library Commission. (2021). “2021 Statistical Data Files to Download”. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from NLC.

Internet at Home

Inputs

Row 1

Percentage of Homes with Internet Access (2021)

Row 2

Population Density of Nebraska Counties (2022)

Internet Usage in Libraries

Inputs

Row 1

Map of Nebraska Libraries and Internet Capabilities

Row 2

Heat Map of Responses for Each Featured Survey Question

Row 3

Library Computer Usage Development

Inputs

Row 1

2018 Annual Uses of Public Internet Computers per Service Population

Row 2

2021 Annual Uses of Public Internet Computers per Service Population